Solanum nigrescens
Solanum triquetrum
divine nightshade
Texas nightshade
petiolate;
petiole 0.5–2 cm;
blade simple, ovate to ovate-elliptic, 4–10.5 × 2–5 cm, margins entire or shallowly sinuate-dentate, base decurrent.
petiolate;
petiole 0.3–1.2 cm;
blade simple, deltate to hastate or triangular, sometimes linear, (1–)1.8–5 × (0.3–)1–3.5 cm, margins entire to basally 2-lobed, lobe margins entire, base truncate to subcordate or hastate.
extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, unbranched, umbel-like to racemelike, (2–)5–10-flowered, 1–3.5 cm.
terminal or lateral, leaf-opposed or occasionally extra-axillary, unbranched or occasionally forked, 3–6-flowered, 1–3 cm.
spreading and 0.5–1 cm in flower, spreading and 1–1.5 cm in fruit.
inserted into small sleeve on inflorescence axis, 0.6–1.2 cm in flower, 1–1.5 cm in fruit.
radially symmetric;
calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 1–2 mm, sparsely pubescent, lobes deltate;
corolla white, rarely purplish, often with green or purplish central star, stellate, 1–1.5 cm diam., with sparse interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers ellipsoidal, 2–3 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;
ovary glabrous.
radially symmetric;
calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 2.5–3.5 mm, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, lobes triangular-acuminate;
corolla white or tinged with purple, often with shiny green or greenish white eye, stellate, 1.5–2 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers oblong, slightly tapered, 3.5–4 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;
ovary glabrous.
dull green or purplish, globose, 0.5–0.8 cm diam., glabrous, with (4–)5–6(–13) sclerotic granules.
bright shiny red, globose, 1–1.5 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
tan, flattened, 1.2–1.5 × 1–1.1 mm, finely pitted.
reddish brown, plump-reniform to flattened, ca. 4 × 2.5 mm, minutely pitted.
, semiwoody or scramblers with enlarged woody base, to 2 m, occasionally erect subshrubs to 0.5 m, unarmed, glabrous to densely pubescent, hairs usually ascending and pointing distally on stems, weak, unbranched, to 0.5 mm.
= 24.
= 24.
Solanum nigrescens
Solanum triquetrum
Solanum nigrescens is widespread in Central and northern South America and the Caribbean and extends northward into the southeastern United States along the Gulf Coast and slightly inland. Where sympatric with S. americanum, it can be distinguished by its longer anthers and dull green or purplish berries with appressed to spreading calyx lobes. Plants collected as weeds in rice and sugarcane fields of Louisiana and provisionally identified as the Chinese species S. merrillianum T. N. Liou are somewhat intermediate between S. americanum and S. nigrescens and could represent recent hybrid populations (S. Knapp et al. 2019). Solanum nigrescens differs from S. douglasii in its shorter anthers and longer filaments relative to anther length; moreover, S. douglasii is usually found west of the Rocky Mountains, whereas S. nigrescens occurs in the southeastern United States. The ranges of S. nigrescens and S. interius overlap (for example, in Texas). Solanum nigrescens may be distinguished from S. interius by its usually acute calyx lobes, smaller seeds, and more numerous sclerotic granules in the fruits. Solanum nigrescens differs from S. nigrum in its more slender peduncles and pedicels, smaller seeds, and fruits with sclerotic granules.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Solanum triquetrum is widespread in central, southern, and western Texas. It could be confused with S. dulcamara, which also has shiny green dots at the corolla lobe bases, but the flowers of S. triquetrum are white and the leaves more sharply triangular. Leaf shape and size in S. triquetrum are extremely variable (S. Knapp 2013).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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